Machine for bending and coiling pipe



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet If H. E. FOWLER. MACHINE FOR BENDING ANDOOIL'ING PIPE.

No. 408,006. Patented July 30, 188.9.

(No Model.) 4 sheets sheet 2.

H. E. FOWLER. MACHINE FOR BENDING AND OOILING PIPE.

No. 408,006. Patented July 30, 1889.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets- 811001; 3.

1-1. B. POWLER, MACHINE FOB. BBNDING AND OOILING PIPE.

No. 408,006. Patented July 30, 1889.

EH5. Pnuwuzho n her. wasmn mk n c.

' (No Model.) 4 sheen sneet 4.

H. 13. FOWLER. MACHINE FOR BBNDING AND GOILING PIPE. No. 408,006.Patented July 30, 1889.

I 7fi ize es ea, W W M@/% Z n PETERS. mlb-umn m m Wahingnm. u: c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT E. FOIVLER, OF NEIV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNITEDSTATES PIPE BENDING AND COIIiING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS.

MACHINE FOR BENDING AND COILING PIPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 408,006, dated July'30, 1889.

Application filed April 1, 1889. Serial Ito- 3051511. (No model.)

lates to means whereby the pipe is fed for-..

ward to the bending mechanism by whatI designate as a force-feed, incontradistinction to the present methods of feeding the pipe, whichoperate either by a gripping device applied to the forward end of thepipe or by clamping the pipe to the bending mechanism, (usually agrooved disk,) and thus drawing the pipe forward during the operation ofcoiling. Features of the mechanical construction whereby I am enabled tofeed pipe of soft or thin metal and coil it without injury aregripping-jaws which are of such length as to distribute the strain uponthe pipe to avoid crushing, said jaws being caused to engage the pipe,preferably, by toggle-arms pivoted upon a sliding head-block operated bysuitable gearing.

Another feature of my invention relates to an adjustable bending roll ordie, whereby various-sized coils may be formed without changing thedies, and to novel means for adjusting said roll or die.

Other features will be hereinafter described, and particularly pointedout in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan View of a machineembodying my improvements, a fragmentary portion of the driving-pulleybeing broken away. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a sideelevation,

partly in vertical section; and Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectionon line 4 4 of Fig.

1, looking toward the rear of the machine.

Referring to the drawings, 5 represents the table or bed of the machine,which may be of 50 any convenient form and supported upon the pillar 6.

7 is a stud, which is stepped into the table 5 and bears upon its upperend a die or roll 8, having a grooved periphery 8*, within which thecoiling is effected.

9 is a guide-plate located at one side of the path of the pipe as itpasses to the die 8.

10 is a swinging plate pivoted at its inner end upon the rotatable stud7. The outer end of said plate has its interior cut away to form guidesfor a movable block 11, into which is stepped, so that it may rotate, astud 12, which bears upon its upper end a grooved roll or die 13, whichrotates in the same horizontal plane as the grooved die 8, whereby toeffect the bending of the pipe between their opposing edges.

14 is a set-screw connected with sliding block 11, and adapted, by beingturned, to reciprocate the block 11 and thus to vary the distancebetween the dies 8 and 13,and thus determining the diameter of coil orbend.

15 is a curved ratchet-plate secured at one end to the swinging frame 10and adapted to be moved in the manner hereinafter described.

16 16 are gripping-jaws, which are connected by screws 17 to the block18, which moves in ways 19 of the frame. The aperture of the jawsthrough which the screws 17 pass admits of a slight lateral movement ofsaid jaws, and the latter are made of such length as to distribute thestrain on the pipe sufficiently to prevent crushing or indentation. Theblock 18 has a slot-and-pin connection, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, witha short stud 20, projected from the front edge of a sliding block 20,which moves also in the ways 19. A stud 21, projecting from the underface of the block 20, enters a cam-groove 22 of a cylinder 22, securedto rotate with a shaft 23, motion being imparted to the latter by meansof the worm-gear 24c, driven by the wormshaft 25, the latter beingrotated by power applied to the belt-pulley 26. The block 20 carries onits upper face studs 27 upon which pivoted to the arms 29, which in turnare pivoted upon studs 30, projecting from the face of the block 18. Theforward ends of the arms 29 are adapted to impinge upon the sides of thegripping-jaws when the rear ends of said arms are spread by the forwardmovement of the block 20.

31 is a bar secured to the block 18, and having on its end a dog 32,whose front end is adaptedto engage the teeth of the ratchetplatedescribed, whereby when the block 18 is moved forward the swinging plate10 will be forced around in the direction of movement.

33 is a guide, preferably in the form of an anti-friction roller mountedin a block 34, which is adapted to be moved in an aperture of the table5 by means of a set-screw 35 and to be vertically adjusted by means of asetscrew 36, whereby said roller is adapted to support the formingcoil,the first 'turn of which will rest thereon, and to direct said coilabove the die 8, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The lateral adjustment ofthis guide adapts it to be used with coils of varying sizes, and itsvertical adjustment adapts it to form coils of varying pitch, it beingobvious that when the guide 33 is elevated more or less the turns of thecoil will be more or less open.

The operation of the machine is as follows: A straight length of pipehas its forward end entered between the guide 9 and the die 8, beingprojected between the curved faces of the'gripping-j aws. Power appliedto the pulley 26 will operate through the worm-gearing and cam-wheeldescribed to impart a forward movement to the block 20, the initialeffect of which will be to spread the toggle-arms at their rear ends andcause their forward ends to impinge upon the gripping-jaws 16. A furthermovement in the same direction causes the front edge of the block 20 toimpinge upon the rear edge of the block 18, and a forward movement isimparted to the lastnamed block, thereby carrying forward thegripping-jaws and pipe and causing the latter to engage the die 13. Ifit be desired to bend a coil of the exact diameter of die 8, the plate10 will be swung around to cause the advancing-pipe to follow closelythe periphery ofsaid die under the influence of die 13. WVhenever theplate 10 has been advanced by the action of the dog to a position whichwill produce a coil of the desired size, said dog will be released,whereupon the plate 10 will be locked. against a retrograde movement bythe en gagement of a spring-actuated pawl 10 with teeth 5 on theperiphery of the table 5. As the coiling progresses, the pipe is guidedby the roller 33, so as to clear the die. It will be apparent that thepipe is coiled at each forward movement of the jaws a distance equal tothe movement of said jaws, and the length of this stroke may of coursebe varied at pleasure. the stud in the cam-slot'will have passed intothe return part thereof, thereby effecting the At the close of theworking-stroke.

ward, carrying the jaws along the pipe in position for afresh attack.

It will be observed that in the operation of this machine, ashereinbefore described,

the feeding of the pipe forward is eifected by the impingement of theblock 20 upon the block 18, and the toggle-arms will be of such lengthand so arranged and the blocks 18 and 20 will be placed such a distanceapart that the gripping effect will not be increased during that part ofthe forward stroke in which the pipe is being coiled, so that thegripping will be uniform, notwithstanding the fact that the powerrequired with different sizes of pipe or forms of bending mechanism maynecessarily be varied.

In the construction as herein shown and described the bending mechanismconsists of circular rolls provided with grooved peripheries, whichrolls are rotatably mounted, their rotation being effected by thefriction of the forwardly-moving pipe; but I do not intend to limit myinvention to any particular form of bending mechanism, as it is obviousthat the stationary rolls of the form shown or stationary blocks withcurved and grooved faces may be substituted therefor. The stationarydevices would be objectionable on account of the increased powernecessary to force the pipe between them; but with some classes of workthis objection would be merely trivial.

I do not'intend to limit my invention to the particular method ofreciprocating the gripping-jaws, although the gearing here shown hasbeen found admirably adapted for that pipe between the bending-dies,substantially as described.

2. In a pipe bending or coiling machine, the combination, with suitablebending-dies, of means for forcing the pipe between said dies to formthecoil, said means comprising, in combination, gripping-jaws carried bya sliding block and toggle-arms, and suitable gearing for operating saidarms to cause them to impinge upon the gripping-jaws to secure itsengagement with the pipe, and means for re ciprocating the block tocause the jaws to ad Vance the pipe, substantially as described.

3. In a pipe-bending machine, the combination, with dies for bending orcoiling the pipe, of a pair of grooved gripping-jaws mounted upon asliding block, a second block adapted to be moved by suitable gearinginto engagement with the first, and a system of togglelevers pivotallyconnecting said blocks and adapted to bear upon said gripping-jaws tocause their engagement with the pipe, substantially as described.

4. In a pipe-bending machine, the combination, with reciprocatingclampingjaws for feeding forward the pipe, of a rotatable bending-die, asecond bending-die mounted upon a swinging plate, and means,substantially as described, connecting said plate with the feedingmechanism.

5. In a pipe-bending machine, the combination, with reciprocatingclamping-jaws for feeding forward the pipe, of a rotatable bending-die,a second bending-die mounted upon a swinging plate, means, substantiallyas described, connecting said plate with the feeding mechanism, andmeans for locking said described.

7. In a pipe-bending machine, the combination, with the bending-dies, ofa guide for the forming-coils, said guide being vertically adjustable,whereby the pitch of the coils may be varied and laterally adjustable,whereby it is adapted for use with coils of varying diameters,substantially as described.

HERBERT E. FOWLER. WVitnesses:

C. H. HAYDEN, FRANK B. BYING-TON.

